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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24135301">Light from Dark Times</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/TurquoiseTerrier/pseuds/TurquoiseTerrier'>TurquoiseTerrier</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Emmerdale</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>(it wouldn't leave me alone okay?), (not much actual pregnancy though), Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, M/M, Mpreg, Non-Linear Narrative, Reunion 3.0, yes... you read that right</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 03:42:38</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,545</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24135301</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/TurquoiseTerrier/pseuds/TurquoiseTerrier</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Robert cuts Aaron off. A few months later, Aaron gets some news. He only wishes he could tell his husband.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Aaron Dingle/Robert Sugden</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>116</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Light from Dark Times</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I... don't even know what this is LOL. It came to me, and downright refused to leave me alone so here, have at it. It's probably crap, but let me know what you think anyway! :D</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It turns out to be Wendy, in the end. She was a much better liar than anyone would have pegged her for, never for a moment had anyone assumed that she had been the one to finish Lee off. The constant mentionings of her ‘poor Lee’ had been out of guilt, it seems.</p>
<p>Aaron had watched from a distance as she got carted off by the police, looked after little Harry while Vic tried to come to terms with everything.</p>
<p>Luke left soon after, unable to stay, unable to face the villagers given what his mother had done. Aaron was relieved; he’d been biting his tongue about whatever it was between him and Vic for too long now.</p>
<p>A few weeks later, there’s a knock at the Mill’s front door. Aaron opens it, a bundle nestled safely in his arms, to be met with his husband standing there.</p>
<p>Divorce papers or not, Robert is, and always will be, his husband.</p>
<p>He stares at Robert for a long moment, then slams the door in his face without a word.</p>
<p>Later, he’ll blame the shock.</p>
<p>Robert’s hair being almost to his shoulders is one thing, but whatever THAT is that’s growing on his face?</p>
<p>No. Just no.</p>
<p>*</p>
<p>It’s not that he feels… bad, as such. Just… not himself.</p>
<p>He hasn’t for a long time. Ever since his husband decided that he was making all the decisions and not giving Aaron a say.</p>
<p>It’s not that he doesn’t understand why Robert did that. He does.</p>
<p>He doesn’t have to like it, though.</p>
<p>He’d thought Scotland would help. Give him some distance.</p>
<p>It did, in some ways.</p>
<p>What it didn’t help was the constant tiredness, the sick feelings. He puts it down to stress, to exhaustion…</p>
<p>Until he nearly collapses in the street and both his Mum and Vic strongarm him to the doctors.</p>
<p>He stares at Manpreet now, eyes wide. “What did you say?” He asks. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”</p>
<p>She smiles at him, hands him the sheet of paper with his test results.</p>
<p>He stares at them. Even seeing it there in black and white… he can’t be.</p>
<p>Pregnant?</p>
<p>*</p>
<p>The untimely deaths of Rebecca and Ross in May are both a blessing and a curse, in some ways.</p>
<p>A blessing as it leads to him getting Seb back. All to himself. No-one can take him away again. Also the good timing of him having a couple of months to get used to having Seb around again before he’s got two kids to cope with.</p>
<p>A curse because it took several weeks, Seb in foster care, to sort that out. Not ideal for Aaron’s already high stress levels. When the social worker had finally brought Seb to the Mill, complete with paperwork all signed by Robert proclaiming his wish that Aaron be Seb’s legal guardian…</p>
<p>Well, at least Robert’s talking to someone, was the first thought that entered Aaron’s head. Now if he’d talk to me too… he’d know that he’s got two kids now and not one.</p>
<p>Still. The look on Seb’s face when Aaron explains to him that he’s going to be a big brother soon…</p>
<p>Worth it.</p>
<p>*</p>
<p>The first few weeks, after finding out… are rough.</p>
<p>He spends half of his time trying to calm his Mum down, as she’s taken to cursing Robert to high heaven for ‘leaving her son in this state’. Robert didn’t know. Couldn’t know.</p>
<p>The dates match to their ‘mucky week in Wales’ as Liv had so eloquently put it. He couldn’t possibly have known.</p>
<p>Despite the fact he’s spending half of his time defending his husband to his Mum, the other half is spent sobbing on the sofa, cursing Robert himself, wanting beyond anything else to just talk to him.</p>
<p>To just tell him.</p>
<p>But he can’t. He’s got to do this all on his own.</p>
<p>He just doesn’t know if he can.</p>
<p>*</p>
<p>One sunny July day, he finds himself in a hospital bed, in a hospital room, staring with wonder at his new daughter, sleeping safely in his arms.</p>
<p>A quiet knock on the door makes him look up, seeing his Mum come in, holding Seb’s hand. “Is it alright if we come in?” She asks, trying and failing to be discreet when she’s trying to get a look at the little girl in his arms.</p>
<p>Aaron nods. “Hiya mate,” he says to Seb. “Wanna see your new sister?” He asks.</p>
<p>Seb nods, waving his favourite hammer toy in the air. Chas lifts him up onto the edge of the bed, taking the toy off him when it gets waved a little bit too closely to the little girls face, sitting him up higher so he can see properly.</p>
<p>“She’s gorgeous,” his Mum says. “You got a name for her yet?” She asks.</p>
<p>Aaron shakes his head.</p>
<p>*</p>
<p>He knows Vic has been sending letter after letter, trying to get Robert to at least talk to them.</p>
<p>He also knows that they all get returned unopened.</p>
<p>He should be more annoyed about that than he actually is, but it’s strange.</p>
<p>Since finding out, since having that initial freakout that he had…</p>
<p>He’s felt closer to Robert, despite the distance between them.</p>
<p>He supposes that carrying a part of Robert inside of him, knowing that eventually he’ll have a little person, a part of Robert, a part of him… someone that no-one can ever take away from him…</p>
<p>It’s comforting, in a way.</p>
<p>The fact that he’s been carrying their wedding rings around with him ever since he found out too, on a chain, hidden under his t-shirts…</p>
<p>That might help too.</p>
<p>*</p>
<p>He calls her Annie, for Robert’s grandmother who he’s, despite them always saying they’d go, never actually met.</p>
<p>He’s heard a lot about her though, and he thinks Robert would like the choice.</p>
<p>She’s got brown curls like him, but Robert’s nose. He hopes she gets his green eyes too, but she’s too young to know that just yet.</p>
<p>Seb is obsessed with her; watching her through the bars of her cot like she’s something to be marvelled at.</p>
<p>She is, in a way. Their little miracle baby.</p>
<p>He only wishes that her other Dad knew she exists.</p>
<p>One day, he promises. One day.</p>
<p>*</p>
<p>He knocks on the door to Keepers Cottage; three sharp raps with his knuckles. Annie snuffles, half asleep where she is, safely strapped to his chest. Seb rubs at his nose with his free hand, the other held firmly in Aaron’s. </p>
<p>Vic opens the door a few seconds later, Harry in her arms. “I take it he’s here?” Aaron asks her.</p>
<p>She nods. “I’ll erm… I’ll give you some space,” she says, reaching for the changing bag that’s near the door. “I’ll be in the pub if you need me,” she adds. “Try not to kill him, yeah?” She whispers as she passes, smiling at Annie and Seb as she does.</p>
<p>“Can’t promise that,” he whispers back as she passes. The fact she still leaves proves that she doesn’t believe a word of it, and he shakes his head as he goes inside, Seb following quietly as they go into the living room. Robert’s there, sitting on the sofa. He’s had a shave, Aaron’s pleased to see.</p>
<p>He loves Robert more than anything in the world, that’s undeniable, but even he would draw the line at being seen with him in public if Robert still had that growing on his face.</p>
<p>Robert blinks, as if he can’t quite believe what he’s seeing. “You’re here,” he says. Always stating the obvious, his husband. That hasn’t changed.</p>
<p>Something else has changed though. “You need a haircut,” are the first words that come out of his mouth.</p>
<p>It’s weird. He hasn’t seen, nor spoken to Robert for the best part of a year, and that’s the first thing he says to him?</p>
<p>Oh well, he thinks as Robert stares up at him, eyes wide. There are worse things he could have said, after all.</p>
<p>Then he realises what, or who, Robert is looking at. “I’m still angry with you,” he says, even as Annie wakes up properly, as Seb finally realises who it is that’s sitting on the sofa and tugs his hand free from Aaron’s to run to his dad’s side.</p>
<p>“I know,” Robert whispers, his voice rough, thick with emotion, grabbing at Seb as he runs headlong into him. “Is… is she…?” He asks, staring at Annie.</p>
<p>“She’s yours,” Aaron confirms. “Turns out you managed to knock me up,” he adds, moving to sit on the sofa next to Robert. Seb has scrambled onto Robert’s lap, Robert hugging his son as he stares at his daughter with wonder, and as Aaron watches, sadness.</p>
<p>“I didn’t know,” he whispers, reaching out a gentle hand. Annie grabs onto his finger, and Robert sniffs, smiles.</p>
<p>“No, you didn’t,” Aaron says pointedly, and Robert flinches. “We’ll talk about that later,” he says. “We’ve got time… yeah?”</p>
<p>Robert nods, so quickly. “Yeah,” he says. “If you, if you want…?”</p>
<p>“I do,” Aaron confirms. He reaches for the chain under his t-shirt, pulls it out, shows Robert the two rings, side by side. Robert smiles, eyes as wet as Aaron’s own.</p>
<p>They’ve got all the time in the world.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I'm on tumblr! <a href="http://turquoiseterrier.tumblr.com">TurquoiseTerrier</a> Come say hello! :)</p></blockquote></div></div>
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